Discrimination against any community in India will not be tolerated: Modi

In a rare lengthy media interview, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Asian News International (ANI) on Saturday that discrimination against any community will not be tolerated, and every faith will have equal rights in India.

“Our constitution guarantees religious freedom to every citizen and that is not negotiable,” Modi told the New Delhi-based ANI in an exclusive interview to mark his completion of one year in office as PM. “This principle of equal respect and treatment for all faiths has been a part of India’s ethos for thousands of years.”

In his “report card” on work done the past year, Modi explained his travelling to 17 countries in 12 months, saying it was to “nurture new economic partnerships and tap reserves of energy, minerals, technology and finance from major economies.” As part of his achievements, he noted $92 billion worth of investments from Japan, China and the U.S.

Modi hit back at opposition critics who deride his government as a pro-rich “suit-boot government,” saying it was better than a “suitcase (bribes) government. ” He added: “After ruling for sixty years, the Congress has suddenly remembered the poor. You should ask them — ‘If you were pro-poor, why does poverty still exist in India?’ ” Read more